Ellie and the Yalies
by disasterousperfection
Summary: When the gang gets a chance to go to Texas,what fun ensues? Second in the Ellie series RECENTLY UPDATED!
1. Well She's Excited

Poor Ellie. It had been over a year since she had been home. Back to Texas. It was getting close to her November birthday, and there was nothing she wanted more than to see her family. Her little sister had emailed her just a month ago. She was following in Ellie's footsteps,skipping yet another grade. She'd be in college right around the same age her older sister started. It was about 8AM when Ellie's phone went off in her room. She was careful to answer it before Rory and Logan woke up. Rory had been working very hard lately to make up the time she had lost during recovery after her accident. She had been a little snappy lately. Everyone knew she didn't mean it,but they still tried very hard to stay out of her way if they could help it. The area code read 972. Her hometown.

"Hello?"

"Ellie?" Her dad.

"Daddy,what's wrong? Is everyone alright?" Her dad's chuckle made the lump of fear in her throat subside.

"Yes, punkin. I was going to see if you wanted your birthday present a little early..."

"Sure! But it's like late September!"

"So??? Don't you want to know??" He heard her little squeal of anticipation. And once he told her what the surprise was, she nearly bolted out the door squealing. They said goodbye,as she hurried into the kitchen to make coffee. She knew her latest excitement had probably woken the other two.

Right as the coffee was finishing up, Rory and Logan were dressed and coming out. Logan smiled and kissed Ellie's cheek. He saw the excitement in her eyes. It was something really good. But his girlfriend was angry. Moody was a better term for it. As she poured herself a cup of coffee,she sat at the bar and basically glared at Ellie. The blonde smiled as she whispered out an apology,almost as if she was scared to speak.

"So, Elle, what do we owe this morning's alarm clock to?" Logan,trying to ease the situation,began prying into the mystery.

She nodded,took a deep breath,and looked at Rory mostly.

"Well,my dad called." Logan and Rory's eyes got a little brighter. It wasn't often she actually talked to her dad and she was really amped up. It usually made her a little sad,knowing they were so far away.

"And?" Now Logan was even excited.

"He asked if I wanted my birthday present early. I told him yes,but I found it a little odd seeing as my birthday is almost two months away, but sure..." She was smiling so big she almost couldn't get her words out.

"He asked if I wanted to go to Texas!" They both smiled,knowing how much this was going to help her out.

"And..." Logan looked up,puzzled. There was more?

"He said I can bring as many friends as I wanted with me!" She was bouncing up and down again. He looked to his girlfriend, and her scowl had turned to a huge grin. This was going to be a great trip.

"How long?" Rory was game.

"Two weeks! We should be there for the Red River Shootout, and maybe, just maybe for the Cowboys game!" She bounded in her room, throwing clothes around to pack,even though they weren't leaving for a couple of days.


	2. Parties

It was the night before they left for the trip, and Ellie was determined to throw a party before they left the sleepy Yale quarters for her hometown. Rory and Logan were busy gathering up the other three that were to join them. Collin,Stephanie,and Finn had decided to bring their stuff to Rory's apartment so they could all leave together. They were all very excited,but nervous at the same time. They knew Ellie wasn't from a prestigious background like their's, and they didn't want to come off as snobbish and some dumb bunch of rich kids. They arrived back at the apartment shortly before 5 in the afternoon,and what they saw wasn't exactly what they were expecting.

Ellie had transformed the main room into a huge party room,decorated with different images and items of Texas. A huge poster of Texas Stadium. Foods like they have at the State Fair. Burnt orange and white streamers everywhere. And there she stood in the middle,bright eyed and super excited. Her hair pulled back, and dressed in a blue turtleneck dress, she was sitting at the bar eating chili.

"Hi!" They all smiled as she passed out bowls and cups and turned on the stereo. Country and rock and roll filled the air.

Rory was reminded of her London party. She looked at Logan,knowing he was thinking the same thing. He came up behind her, nuzzling in her neck. They were watching their friends milling around the room,talking,eating,dancing,and having a good time. Over in the corner,they found Ellie trying on her Texas Rangers hat as she was talking up a very tall man next to her. A man they all knew very well. The southerner was talking to the Aussie. Finn and Ellie seemed to be fitting very well with each other it seemed. Logan knew what Rory was thinking. She wanted to set the two of them up. It had been a thought for a while. If there was anyone who knew about being from somewhere else,it was Finn. And just looking at them, they were stunning together. As petite as she was,he was tall. His slender but muscular frame,his chestnut hair and hazel eyes stood distinguished against his tanned skin. Listening to them talk,each with very distinctive accents made them a very charming couple. Now only to get them together. Rory thought to herself a quick little plan,and decided to put it into motion.

Later in the evening,as the group dwindled down to the six, Rory decided to put some of Ellie's favorite movies. Movies that reminded her of home. They watched the Rookie,which she loved because of the scene in the Ballpark in Arlington. They were towards the end when Collin said the one phrase that she knew would help her plan.

"Hey! We should watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre!" All the guys were game,and all the girls shuddered. Rory smiled to herself as she put the movie on. It was getting late. She and Logan were snuggled together on the futon. Steph and Collin were sharing the huge beanbag in the corner. Finn and Ellie were sitting on the couch, while she had a blanket in her lap to hide her eyes. Ellie was a horror chicken. Sure enough, by the first scream, the blonde was peeping over the hem of the blanket,almost too afraid to look up. Minutes later,without even thinking,she buried her face in Finn's chest. Logan noticed the smile on his friend's face as he pulled her closer to him and rubbed the top of her hair. The plan was working. She made herself comfortable against him as they finished the movie. It was midnight when the movie was finished,and the group sat around the TV drinking hot chocolate and watching old episodes of Dallas. It wasn't long after that that people started nodding off. Collin was first,since he had been at work all day prior. Rory,being the planner and instigator,went off to bed so she would wake up early. Logan,Steph,Finn,and Ellie were left in the front room talking. About an hour later, Finn looked down to see her curled next to him,sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to wake her up,and he had this strange feeling of not wanting to leave her just yet. Luckily, she was a deep sleeper,and it wasn't much to pick her up and lay her on the futon. Steph and Logan went to bed. Finn laid down next to Ellie, since he was too big for the smaller couch they had. He kissed the top of her forehead,thinking he was determined to get her attention on the trip.


	3. Finally Together

The day after the party was calmer than most had anticipated. Rory and Logan were up first,being the earlybirds that they usually were. Collin and Finn woke up almost the exact same time. Probably from living together in the past. Stephanie had been up for a little while,but as usual,was primping in the mirror. Which left Ellie. She had been so anxious about the trip she barely slept all night. Logan gently shook her awake so she could shower and get ready for the flight. She loved to fly,especially home.

After about an hour of security and pre flight discussions,they were up in the air. Logan had volunteered his jet for the trip,one less expense on the Lewis family. He knew Ellie didn't have a lot of money. He and Rory were sitting together,talking over plans for Lorelai and Luke's upcoming anniversary celebration. Collin was laid out in a seat behind them. Stephanie sat across from him,going over her nails. Ellie was busy playing on her Nintendo DS. And Finn... he was busy watching Ellie. Rory noticed just how well her plan had worked. The Aussie was entranced. She would have to work on her friend,who seemed to be ninety percent oblivious to the fact he was falling for her and hard. He smirked as she danced along with the music in her iPod. She would have to talk to her. And what better time then now? She pulled out her phone, and sent a text to Ellie.

"Hey." She couldn't think of anything to say without spilling the beans.

"What's up?"

"Finn's checking you out." Ellie never looked up,but Finn knew something was up. Ellie's cheeks had just turned a very alluring shade of scarlet as she furiously went back to texting.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Positive. He digs you." Ellie smiled to herself. She wasn't the type to make a move on a guy. But if Rory was right about him,it wouldn't be long until Finn made a move on her.

It wasn't that much longer until they landed. One of the great things about being on a private jet is no luggage claim and fighting to get out of the terminals. Everyone was excited to meet their hosts for the next two weeks,which they knew they were close to when Ellie bolted across the terminal to a small family. A chestnut haired little girl of about 13 hugged her first,followed by a blonde haired green woman,about five foot six.. Finally,there was a bellowing laugh as she was swung in the air by her 6 foot two father.

"I missed you, peanut."He whispered against her cheek as he kissed it.

"I missed you too,daddy." She whispered back as she turned to introduce her family to her..well,family.

"Okay. Logan Huntzberger,Rory Gilmore,Stephanie Vanderbilt,Collin McRea,Finn Rothschild,meet Peter,Elizabeth,and Hope Lewis."

Everyone spent a brief time exchanging hellos as Mr. Lewis helped the guys get the luggage together. They loaded it all in the Jeep that was Ellie's car,which the family was driving. Ellie had been given the keys to her parents car,a bigger Envoy. Arriving at the house,the New Haven gang was greeted to what the "rich life" meant to their friend. It was a modest brick home to them. As big as their pool houses or guest houses. But they could also see the charm in it. Here it was,late September,and it was still eighty five degrees out. A slight chill in the breeze,leaves just starting to turn and fall in the yard. Everyone began unloading luggage as Mr. Lewis began "laying down the law".

"I set out three rooms for y'all. I know you ain't children,but I will ask that I not have to bear witness to any funny business." They were all smiling. Mostly because the only person they had heard with that accent was Ellie. She guided them inside to her room. They could all unpack later. Scanning her room gave all of them a better glimpse of her. Logan knew he had seen a room like this before. Rory's room in Stars Hollow. Full of certificates and medals,pictures of friends,even a brochure from Yale. She had her medals from her years in softball,along with the what seemed like millions of sports,music,and movie posters and memorabilia. Rory walked around the room,almost feeling like she was home again. She knew this had to be the main reason she had clicked with her so quickly. She looked over at Logan,who was browsing through one of her scrapbooks. She remembered how mad her mom was when she first fell for the "socialite playboy". Lorelai was determined to keep Rory from having to be the perfect angel in the money world. She glanced over at Stephanie and Collin. Both money. Perfection in blue blood terms. Finally,her eyes fell on Finn. He was the foreigner,the "new money" in Hartford and New Haven. And he had his sights set on Ellie. A girl with not much more than a dream and will for miles. He was looking at a picture of her on her wall. It was obviously Halloween,with Ellie dressed as Trixie from Speed Racer,her father as Pops Racer,Mom as Mom Racer,and little Hope as Spridle,holding a stuffed monkey to be Chim Chim. It was dated "10.31.2005. Ellie 14,Hope 9"

"That was my favorite costume. Except I had no Speed." She teasingly pouted. Finn noticed the little blush she gave when Rory made a face at her.

It wasn't long before Stephanie's persistent whining to go shopping won out. She had a lot of very warm clothes,and by looking at the forecast,the lowest it was going to get was about fifty degrees. They settled on a mall just outside of Arlington,seeing as both the Ballpark in Arlington and the new Cowboys stadium were on the way. It was great to see the group finally being able to relax. Most people around here wouldn't know them just by their last name. Huntzberger Publishing only owned a small startup paper in Irving,the Irving Rambler. The only other one to have any hold within the state was Collin's parents. The McRea's had a lot of different law firms around the country.

Stephanie dragged Rory and Ellie off immediately as they reached the mall. It was agreed upon to meet in two hours for lunch. When the girls had gotten out of sight,Logan pulled something out of his pocket to show to his friends.

"Oh Logan,I never knew you felt this way!" Finn teased,as he swooned at his friend's feet. Logan scowled.

"So when?" Collin rolled his eyes at the Aussie as he asked. As long as it wasn't the Passion of the Christ,we were all okay. Logan shrugged.

"Soon. I asked Lorelai and Luke before we left. Rory was at Lane's. She thought I had gone to Doose's for Mallomars.

"And Chris?" Collin hated bringing it up,but he was a little old fashioned. Sure,he had asked her mother and her step father,but he hadn't asked her actual father.

Logan's face of excitement and anticipation faded. Rory never really mentioned her Hayden side,unless she had to. Most of the group didn't even know until she was inducted into the brigade. Hearing the name Aaron Hayden attached to this Gilmore was a shock to everyone. Chris was nothing to Rory. She's said that many times.

"Forget it. Let's go in,see what Steph's done." Grimacing as they thought about the idea,the boys finally ventured inside.

An hour and a half later, the guys had met back up at the food court to wait on the girls. Collin had a few gigantic bags,meaning he had run into Stephanie. Finn had a tiny bag with him. He had found a little bracelet he thought would look beautiful on Ellie. Silver chain,with a little sapphire E. He picked the sapphire because he knew blue was her favorite color. It was the color of the sky,the color of water,and what meant the most to her,it was the major color of both the Rangers and the Cowboys. Logan was waiting on Rory. He had another,smaller surprise for her. Her first pair of heels since her accident. She hadn't been really able to wear anything but sneakers and flats,due to bruising and swelling on her legs. He had found a particularly sexy pair of black heels he thought she would look amazing in. And if her legs began to hurt... well, he was a very skilled masseuse.

Stephanie was coming up the way,and since she had dumped most her other bags on Collin,she only had two small shopping bags in hand. Rory popped up about fifteen minutes later,as the group was trying to figure out how to spend the rest of the day. They were all rudely interrupted by a fight breaking out by the entrance to the food court. From the way it sounded to Logan,a couple of teens from the local high school continuing a fight from school. What made him sick to his stomach was the scene that was just beginning to form in front of his eyes. The group was swelling. Friends joining in the fight. But that wasn't it. Ellie. She was on the other side of the fight,not even looking up. She was fidgeting with the cord of her Ipod that was falling out of her pocket. He saw her start to step out of their way,when one of the boys grabbed her by the arm to use her as a shield from his opponent.

Finn had seen enough. He ran,demanding they let her go. He kept getting pushed back,but he kept pushing himself forward again. Hearing mall security,the kid finally flung her towards the ground. Finn held her to make sure she didn't hit the tile below. The security staff was busy arresting all the boys involved in the fight,as a EMT had come to check on any of the injured. He joined the rest of the group as they watched the paramedics check on Ellie. The tears in her eyes were breaking his heart. He saw the paramedic nod as Ellie stood up and looked around to see where her friends were. Seeing them,she ran straight towards them, almost barreling into Finn. He wrapped his arms securely around her,kissing the top of her head. Sitting down, they all scanned her over. Her chin was cut from the ring on one of their hands. Her wrists were bruised from him holding her.

"Should we call your dad,love?" She shook her head.

"They called him a minute ago. He asked if I was okay. I said yeah,and he said he'd see me at home." Deciding to stay,at least to eat,they tried very hard not to bring up the most recent events. Rory pulled a brush out of her purse to help Ellie straighten her ponytail. She stayed very close to Finn,who kept his arm loosely on her shoulder. She reached up,only once,to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you." He wanted to kiss her so badly. But he knew now was not the time. Let the shock wear off. He didn't want her to possibly regret doing anything with him. He used his thumb to rub little circles on her back,making sure she felt safe.

Lunch ended,and the New Haven gang decided to get back to the house,and see what the family was up to. Hope was headed out to her softball game. Ellie perked back up at this notion. She had played softball since she was old enough to hit a tee. Her coursework at Yale was too much,otherwise she would have found out if Yale had a team to play on. Mrs. Lewis took Ellie upstairs to clean her face and chin up before they left for the game. Rory and Logan took this time to unpack and put things up. They had one of two guest rooms. Collin and Steph had the middle one, with Ellie,of course in her room. The only person with a question was Finn. He knew he could share rooms with Logan and Rory. But that's not what he really wanted. They all knew. All there was left was getting her to say yes.

The softball game was a hit with everyone. It was a co-ed team,ages 13 to 20. Hope was a pitcher,and a darn good one. She came running up after warm-ups almost sad.

"What?"

"We're short a player. Kim,our first baseman has the flu." After pouting for a moment,Hope smirked,and looked up at Ellie.

"Hey! You wanna?"

"Oh drat. I would,but I don't have a glove."

"I do! It's in the Jeep!" So Ellie nodded,as she followed Hope out to the car to get her glove. It was decided. Both Lewis girls would be playing in the game. Being the "guest" team,they were up first. The second batter was Ellie. There wasn't even a chance of a strike. The first pitch,Ellie swung like she was a pro,and the ball was suddenly deep in left field. The usual clumsy girl was now on second base,preparing to steal third. It was almost as if it weren't the same person on that field. Following her lead as a great player was little sister,who ended the night with a no hitter. The final score of five nothing was enough to celebrate. The family took them all to a local pizza joint where there was a lot of laughter and pepperoni.

It was almost midnight when the whole group returned home. After a very long day,they just wanted to finish unpacking and lie down. Maybe not go to sleep,but at least be a little lazy. Logan and Rory went to their room,minding to keep some room open for their possible roommate. He was sitting downstairs with Ellie,watching the Tonight Show. He was very careful not to make any overly flirtatious moves. She leaned against him,so he put his arm around her. A few minutes later,he looked down to see her staring at him.

"Yes,love?" She blushed,and he ran his thumb across the pooling red.

"I can't help it. I have a crush on you." She giggled a little bit,as he closed his eyes and smiled.

"Well. That's a good thing." She looked up at him with expectant eyes. He kissed the top of her head.

"Because I have a crush on you too." He smiled as they both leaned in for a kiss.


	4. Streets,swim,spaghetti,sleep

Day 2 in the Lewis household was hopefully going to be a little calmer than their first. Logan Huntzberger was awake,watching his girlfriend sleep,admiring her beauty as the morning sun began to shine on her face. He remembered the ring he had hiding in his jacket pocket. He couldn't wait until he got the moment right to slip that on her finger. Looking at the clock,it was nine AM. He realized if he wanted to get cleaned up,he would have to get up and do it soon. Stephanie always took forever in the shower.

As much as he didn't want to,he un-snuggled Rory from his chest,and padded down the hall. He peeked in at the rooms as he went. Hope was sprawled out on her bed,still in her softball shirt and shorts from last night. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis' door was shut,as was most parents when they had children over. Turning to the right,he saw Stephanie's blonde hair peeking out over the covers as she pushed a pillow over Collin's lightly snoring nose. Grinning,he peeked over the stair railing,expecting to see Finn stretched on the couch. He didn't come into his and Rory's room. He shrugged when he didn't see the Aussie on the couch,figuring he had gone out for a run or something. Turning back around,he ran into Ellie's door. It was open,and he peeked in on his baby sister. What he saw did catch him by surprise,almost more than it should.

There was Finn,awake,in basketball shorts and a muscle shirt,with Ellie curled almost flush around his body. Logan smiled as he gently knocked on the door to get Finn's attention. He knew he didn't have to be all that quiet. The dead would wake before Ellie would. Sure enough,her little brown eyes were closed,and a smirk played across her sleeping lips.

"So when did this occur?" He smiled,sitting in Ellie's computer chair.

"Last night. We were watching the telly when she admitted she had a huge crush on me." He grinned,remembering the moments of last night. Logan nodded,as he remembered the days that led up to his and Rory's relationship. Seeing the bag on the floor,he looked back at Finn.

"Have you given it to her yet?" Finn sighed. He wanted to give her the bracelet last night,like an early birthday present. But after the events at the mall,he was more content to see her smiling at the game and then at the pizza place later.

"Nope. Maybe today,if she doesn't find something else to cover up with." Being careful not to hurt her,he picked up her hand that laid on his stomach to look at her wrist. The small space was still blue from the punk's hands gripping her against her will. As his thumb grazed the bruises,the anger in him boiled.

Logan lightly tapped his shoulder,bringing him back to reality.

"I'm gonna go take a shower,you might wanna get up soon. You know,Stephanie is in this house." He laughed,as he looked down at his new girlfriend. He decided to head out on his run while she slept. Kissing her temple,he scooted out from under her,making sure she was still tucked in well. Finn figured by the time he had gotten done running,Logan would be done with the shower,and would tell Stephanie that he had dibs on the shower.

He was right,and about an hour later,most of the whole group was up. Like her sister,though,Ellie and Hope were still sleeping.

"It runs in the family." She laughed,as she went upstairs to wake her daughters. It wasn't long before they finally came down. Ellie seemed to have already been up,she smelled like soap and was dressed. Hope rubbed her eyes and mumbled her hellos as she reached for the cereal. Finn made sure there was room for Ellie as she sat beside him. He never thought she looked more beautiful,even though she was dressed quite casually. Light jeans,a light and dark blue baseball tee,and a Texas Rangers hat.

"Elle,are you ever going to give that hat a burial?" Hope giggled over her spoon. Her sister stuck her tongue at her as the rest of the group looked on,confused.

"What's wrong with it,it looks pretty good to me." Collin mumbled over his coffee cup.

Her father smiled,as he rubbed the top of her head.

"She's had this hat since she was seven. It's gone with her to every camp,every game."

"And Rusty too." As her mother said this,Ellie's pale cheeks began to blush a deep scarlet.

"Rusty?" Logan was confused. Ellie blushed again,but her dad just continued.

"That same day,we went to buy her a jersey of her favorite player,Rusty Greer. But,they didn't have any of his jerseys. The closest thing we could find is a men's shirt jersey. It's just like a t-shirt,but on the back it says "Greer 29". She never did grow out of it,and as far as I know,it's still in her closet,ten years later."

Finn smiled. He knew what he could buy her later. Not that he was always spoiling people with gifts,but this seemed special.

Logan watched the family interact,and it tugged at his heart. He knew now why Ellie missed home so much. He would too in these instances.

Finn and Collin had planned today. They wanted to tour Downtown Dallas. The rest of the Lewis' couldn't go due to a full day of softball duties,but they gave Ellie a little money. She took it sheepishly,putting it in her wallet. Logan,Finn,and Rory all had the same thought. She wasn't going to spend that money.

They piled in the car,deciding to take in a few museums and tourists spots before eating. As Ellie turned into it,Rory remembered all the footage she had seen from the killing of JFK. She saw Dealey Plaza,and the memorial there

"And there's the Old Red Courthouse. My parents got their marriage license there." Ellie was pointing everything out,just like a tour guide. She explained how they were doing renovations,but the museum was now open.

"They have the handcuffs from Lee Harvey Oswald,J.R.'s hat from Dallas,and a lot of other historical stuff." Rory wanted to see the Sixth Floor Museum,Stephanie wanted to see Neiman Marcus.

And that's how the day went. Everyone got a choice of where they wanted to go. After Rory and Stephanie's choice,Logan chose the aquarium,where they all turned into kids and had to buy stuffed animals. Logan had a penguin,Stephanie a hippo. Collin and Finn had snakes while Rory had a turtle. They looked to find Ellie had splurged on herself. She loved both turtles and otters. In one hand she had a stuffed otter,about the size of a teddy bear. In the other,was a boxed turtle. It was a light. The shell had little cut outs of stars and moons that would project those designs on the walls at night. Collin picked lunch,and they settled on a steakhouse in the West End called Hoffbrau. Finally,Ellie chose to hit the streets. At first the rest of the gang was confused. But as they followed her they soon realized why. The West End was an arts district. Men walked around selling roses. People on corners played their harmonicas,guitars,or just sang their hearts out. Logan reached out for Rory's hand as she smelled the roses he had bought for her. They were a blush pink,a color her cheeks knew all too well. He thought about using that color at their wedding. He smiled to himself,knowing that he shouldn't be planning a wedding when he hadn't even proposed yet.

Driving back to the house,they noticed the sun slowly warming the air. It was brimming on ninety five degrees. They decided on going swimming. Ellie's family had finally gotten a pool with the income tax money they had received last year. The guys ran upstairs and changed into their shorts,already in the pool before the girls came down. Rory was in a black backless one piece that tied around her neck. Stephanie had a pink halter top and short set with white polka dots. Ellie had a yellow tank top and short set,which sent Finn's heart into overdrive. Her hair had more of a strawberry tint to it in the sun,and as he noticed,so did her cheeks. They swam and splashed and even got into a small game of colors. That is,after Rory explained it to Stephanie.

"Basically,one person holds you while they think of a color. You guess. Get it wrong, they dunk you,and you guess again. Get it right, they flip you,and the next person goes." She nodded,grinning broadly. Her fashion sense was going to come into play nicely.

First up was Finn,with Collin holding him.

"White?" _dunk._

"Blue?" _dunk._

"Red?"_ dunk._

"Black?"_ flip_.

Next was Logan,being held by Finn.

"Purple?"_dunk._

"Orange?" _flip_.

It didn't help that Finn always seemed to resort to orange when he played. After a few more rounds, they decided to dry off and decide on dinner. Ellie settled on spaghetti,and as she cooked,they all got cleaned up,Finn finishing up for her as she finally showered and got dressed.

Looking at the six in the kitchen, you never would have known they were rich. They all looked like a bunch of college kids hanging around the table. Logan's messy hair had fallen in his face. His black shirt and sweatpants weren't exactly haute couture. Everyone else seemed to follow suit,coming back down in pajamas,looking quite relaxed. Rory and Logan took their dinner into the den to watch a movie. Steph and Collin settled at the kitchen bar,and talked while she flipped through a magazine. Ellie and Finn decided to take the back porch swing. He was mesmerized the way her blonde curls would fall around her shoulders. She couldn't help but eye his slim muscular arms in the pale moonlight. They ate quickly,talking about little bits of nothing. Finn brought the bowls inside,and came outside with a blanket. They sat outside,swinging,looking up at the stars. She laid in his lap and ran her fingers along the arm he had draped around her.

It was close to eleven when they headed inside. Finn smiled as he caught a glimpse of Rory and Logan curled up on the couch reading.

"_Nerds_." He thought to himself. Ellie retreated upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. He followed suit,and he fell in love with the sight that lay before him. Finn had never been a one woman man. But seeing this blonde angel,dressed in a pair of track pants and tank top,he had seen heaven. Snuggling in beside her,he felt goosebumps as her warm breath danced across his chest.

"Sleep well,little Sheila." She smiled,and kissed his hand.

"You too,sweet Finny."


End file.
